Obamateurism of the Day

posted at 8:05 am on September 7, 2011 by Ed Morrissey

Barack Obama had an excellent opportunity to put his Hope and Change promise into action this week, after having been introduced by union ally James Hoffa Jr on a Detroit stage with a call, “Let’s take these [Tea Party] sons of bitches out” and telling Obama that his army of union activists would do the job. Obama may not have heard Hoffa’s speech when it happened, but he had all day yesterday to repudiate Hoffa’s comments about going to war against Tea Party activists. That would have fulfilled his promise to change the tone in Washington and reduce the bitter partisanship — which is something that almost by definition has to start with one’s own allies. It also would have matched his speech after the shooting of Rep. Gabrielle Giffords in Arizona that called for constructive rhetoric in political debate. Hoffa might have been miffed if Obama took the opening for a “Sister Souljah” moment, but it wouldn’t have damaged Hoffa at all and could have boosted Obama with moderates.

Instead, not only did Obama fail to take the initiative to rebuke Hoffa for his own gain, the White House couldn’t pick up the golden opportunity handed to them by ABC’s Jake Tapper yesterday. Jay Carney could have distanced his boss from Hoffa’s remarks by scolding Hoffa, but instead just prattled about how the press corps wants to make “connections” between supposedly unrelated people and incidents — even though Hoffa introduced Obama at the event with the remarks in question. It’s a response akin to, “Who are you going to believe — us or your lying eyes?”

Obama could have had a real presidential moment. Instead, Obama looks clueless as to what his own promises of Hope and Change actually were, and ended up tacitly endorsing Hoffa’s remarks.

Got an Obamateurism of the Day? If you see a foul-up by Barack Obama, e-mail it to me at obamaisms@edmorrissey.com with the quote and the link to the Obamateurism. I’ll post the best Obamateurisms on a daily basis, depending on how many I receive. Include a link to your blog, and I’ll give some link love as well. And unlike Slate, I promise to end the feature when Barack Obama leaves office.

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Another blogger had Hoffa on Air Force One (with Trumka, et.al.) being given a ride to the election rally (sorry, pre-speech). If true there is no plausible way for Obama not to have known what Hoffa was going to say. At this level they rarely wing it. My guess is that this was planned.

This is merely the latest in a series of rallies to violence from Union members. Remember “if they bring a knife, we’re gonna bring a gun”?

I am beginning to believe that Obama will be voted out (but will continue to work to ensure that’s true). I am now honestly concerned about the violence that may ensue after he loses. It may be the first violent transfer of power in our history.

There are only a few groups that are still a guaranteed lock for Obama in 2012. You would have him distance himself from what little he has left?
Do I sense that the “master apologizer” hasn’t been doing much apologizing since his poll numbers started diving, or is it just coincidence?

“At a time when our discourse has become so sharply polarized,at a time when we are far too eager to lay the blame for all that ails the world at the feet of those who happen to think differently than we do — it’s important for us to pause for a moment and make sure that we are talking with each other in a way that heals, not a way that wounds.”

Somewhere deep within the records of either the White House staff or those of David Axelrod there likely lies an email that directs the ramp up of aggressive rhetoric and threats directed at the Tea Party and Republicans. If such a directive exists, and should ever be leaked to the American public, all hell just might break loose.

He’s an idealogue. He is not cluess, or classless although you could make the point on that he is. He is trying to instill fear in the country with his union thugs. Their lawlessness is santioned already. No one bothers to press charges nor do they call out this insaity for what it is. This is becoming more than political rhetoric and silly Obamateurisms. Be vigilent.

“Real Presidential moments” occur when a real president is in the White House representing an entire nation and not a political ideology that only serves half of the country. Hope and change went out the window the day Obama was sworn into office.

I truly hope Mr. Hoffa Jr. makes plenty of more speeches down the road to keep Tea Party Americans focused on “this war” of ideologies pitting big government entitlements (and the idea that unions are the only choice for the American worker), against the individual who understands the concept of living within their own means. Hoffa and the liberal Democrats have already lost the argument for a bigger intrusive government, while a strong majority of the country has rejected these policies. The only course they can take now is the Alinsky tactic of class warfare and injecting racism into the conversation to confuse the masses—a sure fire ploy for losers.

I know you don’t mean anything by your post, but I’m so tired of hearing about how mean Cunningham was to then-Senator Obama. If my recollection is correct, the Obama campaign asked for an apology from Senator McCain. In this case, Obama can’t – even when confronted (by proxy) – be bothered to jump on board his own Hopey-Changey Express.

He sickens me. I hope Perry wins the nomination, but I’m pulling that lever for whoever has the (R) next to their name.

Zero won’t condemn Hoffa’s words because he agrees with them. He’s also trying to kiss and make up with the Unions. Obummer is a Chicago thug politician and taking out his opponent is how he got elected there. Besides, this is how he feels about the TP and anyone who polls against him.

That would have fulfilled his promise to change the tone in Washington and reduce the bitter partisanship — which is something that almost by definition has to start with one’s own allies. It also would have matched his speech after the shooting of Rep. Gabrielle Giffords in Arizona that called for constructive rhetoric in political debate.

Not really O/T: just saw on news Obama to reveal his 300 Billion dollar tax plan to create new jobs….exactly what I said he was going to do…just sad! Then he’ll blame the right for not raising taxes in order to create those “shovel ready” jobs he’s been promising since he came into office

Did Obama ever, or did anyone within his circle ever answer the question, just what exactly was the hope and change we could expect? Nope!

I remember several times, Hannity would get O’bots calling, and chanting the hope and change mantra. Hannity would ask them, just what is the hope and change? Not one of them ever answered that question, but to say….hope and change.

Perhaps this IS O’s hope and change. He’s obviously trying to create divides between everyone. Rich, not rich. He race baits. He’s dividing states. He’s dividing the nation. He’s dividing the common bond we all are, as Americans.

He’s far from being a messiah, healer, or whatever. He’s worried about one person…and that’s himself. And he, and his ilk, like Hoffa…will say and do anything to keep their power.

Obama only ever apologizes for things he despises. American exceptionalism, for example. He has never been caught apologizing for something with which he agrees in principle, no matter the public perception or potential political fallout. There is not an ounce of graciousness in him. But he is reliably consistent in this one way. He will stand with his allies no matter how horribly they behave. Right up until he needs to throw them under the bus to protect himself.

At least Obama and Hoffa weren’t IN the IHOP enjoying a waffle. And the guy didn’t give Hoffa a high-five on the way out. In that case, the President might have had to stop long enough to actually make a statement suggesting that shooting people is probably not a good thing.

Hoffa said what he said while introducing the President. What planet again do the BHO-Crazies live on?

Besides, even if he had his fingers in his ears (as he apparently did for a decade in Rev. Wright’s church), he’s certainly heard it since. Does he always restrict his comments to things that only happened in his presence? Utterly ridiculous.

Shades of “That’s my story and I’m sticking to it.” If you don’t know the joke that sets up that punch line, you should. It’s pretty funny.

WASHINGTON — A top aide to President Obama says Americans must decide for themselves how to be civil with each other — a rather sharp departure from comments that Obama has himself made in the past.

In an interview with the WMAL Morning Majority Wednesday, White House Communications Director Dan Pfeiffer said the Obama administration is not going to be drawn into the “gotcha game” of reacting to comments made by Teamsters President James Hoffa, Jr. At a Labor Day rally in Detroit, Hoffa urged the President to use unions as his army to fight back against the Tea Party and “take these son-of-a-bitches out.”

Pfeiffer told WMAL that President Obama is not going to “serve as the speech police for the Democratic party.”

“What everyone should do is make their best judgment of how they be civil,” said Pfeiffer. “What I don’t think makes sense is to distract from the major issues at hand to try to get everyone to go back and approve and disapprove of every single thing that every single person has said,” he added.

Another blogger had Hoffa on Air Force One (with Trumka, et.al.) being given a ride to the election rally (sorry, pre-speech). If true there is no plausible way for Obama not to have known what Hoffa was going to say. At this level they rarely wing it. My guess is that this was planned.

This is merely the latest in a series of rallies to violence from Union members. Remember “if they bring a knife, we’re gonna bring a gun”?

I am beginning to believe that Obama will be voted out (but will continue to work to ensure that’s true). I am now honestly concerned about the violence that may ensue after he loses. It may be the first violent transfer of power in our history.

Bigurn on September 7, 2011 at 8:17 AM

Rush Limbaugh opened his show discussing Don Hoffa and Fatboy Trumpka going to this rally courtesy of the federal government on Air Force One.

The new narrative that little Bammie was not even aware of what the thugs on the stage were saying is just more of their lies.

Jay Carney could have distanced his boss from Hoffa’s remarks by scolding Hoffa, but instead just prattled about how the press corps wants to make “connections” between supposedly unrelated people and incidents — even though Hoffa introduced Obama at the event with the remarks in question. It’s a response akin to, “Who are you going to believe — us or your lying eyes?”

Maybe Obama just has a different notion of what makes people “connected?” After all, he listened to Wright for years, but somehow never heard him say anything controversial. And he launched his political career in William Ayers living room, but then claimed he was “just a guy in the neighborhood.”